Residents cry: ECQ passes insufficient

CEBU, Philippines —  Some Cebu City residents have aired their gripe over the perceived slow pace of the distribution of new quarantine passes and their insufficiency to cover all, if not, most households.The city government started the distribution of at least 178,000 passes with quick response (QR) codes last Friday, June 26, 2020. This is to strictly implement the “One-ECQ-pass-One-Household” scheme.“What about kung mogawas mi to buy essentials then wala pa naabot among new quarantine pass, unsaon man na namo? Mamatay mi sa gutom, dili mamatay sa COVID,? said Erwin Loregas, a resident of Barangay Ermita.“As of now, wala pako kabalo kung unsay way sa pag-distribute nila sa new quarantine pass kay base sa mga storya kay i-house to house ra daw but wala paman naabot sa amoa,” Loregas said.Loregas is appealing to the city government to assign more people for the fast distribution of the ECQ passes to the residents since it is the necessary document being checked by the police when going outside.

Not enough

Fia Medez, a renter in Barangay Sto. Niño, hopes that the passes would be enough for every household in the barangays with consideration also to those who rent in dormitories and condominiums, among others, since the previous quarantine passes distributed were not even enough to cater all the households.“As of now, wala pa kaabot ang distribution sa quarantine pass diri sa among lugar. I don't know if wala pa ba or dili jud kaabot,” said Medez.“I am totally not against the issuance of a new pass since we've heard/read reports about illegal reproduction of this, I just hope it would be enough,” she added.Kyle Joren Cuñado, a renter in Barangay Sambag 2 who is also awaiting his new ECQ pass, shared the same sentiment.Cuñado believes that one pass is not enough for an establishment with renters in it because they have different necessities.“I believe two to three passes would suffice so as to have back up in case the one named in the other quarantine pass would not be able to use it,” he said.

To recall, Mayor Edgardo Labella said the number of passes to be distributed was based on the list submitted by the barangays. The list was verified through the database of the Department of Health.He said only one person in a household will be authorized to handle the pass as the name will be placed in the QR pass along with the corresponding QR code number. The pass will also bear the holder’s sitio and barangay.

Appeal

Cuñado appeals to the city government to hear the people's plea.“The higher ups should hear its people because they owe it to them, to listen to them. They need it so as to know what the citizens really need,” said Cuñado.“In these trying times, if they could just listen to their people’s pleas, they would be able to properly and effectively address issues and concerns and could set their priorities straight,” he added. JMD (FREEMAN)